If there’s one thing all humans know from the moment we emerge from the womb, it’s that Love is good. It’s as clear and simple at that point in our lives as breathing. Love is our most natural instinct.

As we get older, however, the idea of Love morphs into different things for each of us.

For some, Love turns into a lust for power or sex or money or electronics or religion or politics or…you get the picture. But this post isn’t about your personal definition of Love. It’s about the word Love.

The idea of the word Love.

When you consider how much art has been created with the idea of Love as its core concept, we can all agree that this one little word has a pretty huge impact on us. On all of us. Across cultures. Beyond the barriers that separate us.

On April 4, 2009, we conducted a test to see whether Love really could conquer all. We asked people to tweet or status “I love you” in their streams just to see what would happen.

As it turned out, a lot happened. Thousands of people across social media tweeted, posted, and mentioned I Love You. This blog post received more than 80,000 visits, USA Today covered the event, and the #iloveyou hashtag trended on Twitter. But most importantly, this one innocuous yet powerful act changed people’s lives–if only for a day. Don’t believe it? Check the comments at the end of this post.

Once again this April 4, some of us will post “I Love You” in our social media circles. Why? Because with all of the bullshit in the world today, we need to be reminded that there’s a force out there greater than darkness.

We do not seek to own this endeavor in any way. So please, take this concept and run with it. After all, you can’t really copyright Love. The only profit we seek is to look into our social media streams and see hundreds or thousands of people sharing a word that’s attached to an idea that we were all born with–and to remind each other that Love is still the most powerful force on earth.

Among thousands of others, U2 wrote a song about Love for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You see, April 4 is the day Dr. King, who dedicated his life to the power of Love, was assassinated. And that’s why we set out to spread Love on a day that’s historically scarred with hate. We think he’d approve.

10 characters. One day. On April 4, we challenge you to dare to let Love take over. It’s only natural.

I Love You. ❤

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Pride (In the Name of Love)

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come he to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed up on an empty beach
One man betrayed with a kiss

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

Early morning, April four
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

Wow. Love you too. It’s funny how hard it actually is to say those words, especially publicly. Even if the emotion is true and honest and real. There’s such a fear that people might take the words the wrong way.
With that said, I’m in. Great idea. thanks! Lisa

Considering how fast something can move around the world these days via modern communication, why not send love. If it brings a smile to the recipient, as well as the sender, then there will hopefully be a lot of smiling people on that day.

You’re on, Jim Mitchem.
This post gave me goose bumps. I spent a few hours yesterday writing about love, myself. I’ll have to post too, with your call to action.
April 4 is the day of my son’s 4th birthday party. Another great coincidence.

Are you kidding me? You had me in the first paragraph, and then you go and post the lyrics to one of the greatest, most important songs about LOVE (and our usual failure at achieving it) ever. Goosebump city. Amazing photo, too. I’m in. And thank you.

Your post reminds me of how overwhelming it was to hear U2 sing Sunday, Bloody Sunday the weekend before Inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial. Just a big love-fest there. Anyway, I’m with you. All my love.
H

I fond myself at odds with these words until I questioned my reasons. It seems to me that the finer points of this article are, after all, secondary and not largely important if the overall message is to appreciate and share one’s most positive outward expression of good will. in the end, I DO appreciate the many definitions of love and personally subscribe to it being wonderful.
If anyone reading this finds conflict between the words and/or any other details regarding the article… just keep in mind; taken as a means to suit the end of having a world filled with that positive meaningful outward expression of affection and joy so often and simply called “love” …it’s a good place to begin if one wishes to add their voice.
Maybe it makes a difference… 🙂
I love you.

I love you.
Speaking of… have you ever heard of the “I Love You Man” in Toronto? He wrote “I LOVE YOU” in blue spray paint 100 times around the city… for a similar purpose as this idea (which is a grand one).
Here’s a link to a map of the annex in Toronto, where you can see photos of each of his I-Love-Yous:http://iloveyougalleries.com/gallery2.htm
Thanks for doing this 🙂

I “love” the idea of doing this, but I can’t help noticing the parallel between the title of this site, “Obsessed with Conformity”, and a post that asks everyone to all do a particular thing on a particular day. 😉

Saw this on my LJ and I added my own statement of love in. It felt oddly good; made me just that small bit happier, and right now I needed it. I hope it makes somebody else happier too, and then they do the same and on and on. Thanks.

Jim – thank you and Staci for launching this amazing day. You helped turn what is usually a sucky day into one that I will forever remember as turning point in my life. This love initiative gave the space to try something new, to open up and share a piece of me. And most important, it gave me beautiful look at the humanity and love that exists in the simplest and grandest of forms – and from otherwise perfect strangers. For all that, I LOVE YOU.

Finally, something that matters. I say “I Love You” to everyone and I don’t care how anyone takes it because it only means Love in the same pure form this intends. interesting to see I’m not the only one who socially believes in this and wants to spread it.
Sadly, it’s now the 5th, the 6th in half an hour, and I missed this yesterday.

The question is: Is an “I love you” that is being posted on the internet in a very generic way and targeting a broad range of people as strong as an “I love you” directly said to one person, or a small group of people?
That said I still like the idea. And since I missed the 4/4 window I shall just use it as a general inspiration and try to spread more love in day-to-day life.

I’m a day late–LJ friend just posted link to this blog & I saw it just now.
I remember when MLK was murdered. I remember us young people, crying and hugging each other in the streets. Black, white, it didn’t matter. We had all shared the dream and its brutal ending…JFK, RFK, MLK… all our heroes destroyed in their prime.
But today I remember the embraces and the hope we still shared on those terrible days. I remember the love. I hope it outlasts the hatred…Love may not be all we need. But it can work wonders, if we allow it the freedom it needs…

Love has kicked my ass up and down a million mountains, but I still love with reckless abandon. It’s the only way to feel alive. I’ve used the word meaning it with every fiber of my being, and I’ve used the word with no drop of truth but rather out of obligation. Love is indeed a powerful word. Indeed.
I love you.

A year later — one of my most challenging years ever — Jim’s post *still* inspires me. I’m acutely aware of the importance of embracing life every day, expressing love and appreciation for others, for the simple reason that we don’t know what tomorrow will hold.
I love you.